וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ חֲדַל־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
Lalu aku berkata: “Tuhan Yang Mahakekal, hentikanlah kiranya! Siapakah yang akan bangkit bagi Yakub, sebab ia kecil?”
Rabbeinu Chananel
Yaakov included all the 13 attributes G’d revealed to Moses in Exodus 34, 6-7 in his prayer here. The words אלקי אברהם ואלוקי יצחק represented the first two of G’d’s attributes, i.e. “mercy and justice.” The words שוב לארצך G’d had said and which Yaakov quotes, refer to the third attribute, the one called רחום in Exodus. The words ואטיבה עמך correspond to the attribute חנון in Exodus, i.e. loving kindness totally unearned by the recipient. The words ארך אפים in the list given to Moses is represented in Yaakov’s prayer by the word קטונתי. Yaakov meant that but for G’d’s long lasting patience, he could not have endured. The word is reminiscent of the line in Amos 7,5 חדל נא מי יקום יעקב כי קטן הוא, “Oh Lord, refrain! How will Yaakov survive, he is so small!”